Corinthia Hotels’ Seama Nahar, Corporate Director of Human Resources, and Alexandra Pisani, HR Project Coordinator, spoke at a forum focusing on “Young HR Leaders’ Insights to Hospitality Hiring,” recently held at the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management at the NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies (NYU-SCPS). Co-sponsored by the NYU-SCPS Hospitality and Tourism Society, the panel featured human resources leaders who represented global luxury brands, including Corinthia Hotels, a collection of luxury five-star properties in Europe and across the Mediterranean region. Ms. Nahar and Ms. Pisani shared their experiences from the perspective of a rapidly-expanding luxury hotel group.
In her overview, Ms. Nahar said, “Having successfully opened our flagship hotel in London in 2011, we are targeting accelerated growth in the coming years through the acquisition and development of new Corinthia Hotels. We seek to recruit staff members with the right attitude and personality to reflect the ‘Spirit of Corinthia.’ We characterize this as devotion to the craft of hospitality and accountability that is seen brand-wide at Corinthia Hotels.”
Alexandra Pisani, daughter of Alfred Pisani, the Founder and Group Chairman of Corinthia Hotels, spoke of the key role that human resources plays in ensuring the continuity of the ‘Spirit of Corinthia’ since it starts at the recruitment level. Ms. Pisani said, “I feel strongly, that it is the staff’s dedication to care and personal attention to detail, reflected in the ‘Spirit of Corinthia,’ that in the end is what distinguishes Corinthia Hotels from other luxury brands.”
Ms. Nahar added, “Corinthia Hotels’ participation in the panel is part of the launch of new brand-wide human resources initiatives that include the Corinthia Leadership Development Program, ‘Spirit of Corinthia’ recruitment brochures, and video.
